Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
“The DeForest Skinner House or Skinner Homestead, is a place on the National Register of Historic Places in Valparaiso, Indiana. It was placed on the Register on June 24, 2008.”
Wikipedia article DeForest Skinner House, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 42 National Register listings published here for Porter County · listed in 2008 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 33 fires within 5 miles of DeForest Skinner House between 1995 and 2004, burning about 81 acres in total. None started naturally. 4 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 16 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 8 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 4 |
| Debris and open burning | 4 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 September 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 27 September 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 14 September 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 7 August 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 10 August 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 31 July 2002 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 5 June 2003 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.5 acres | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 6 May 2004 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of DeForest Skinner House: 2 producers. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Stone. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porter Co. Hwy Dept. | Stone | Producer | ||
| Valparaiso Supt. of Streets | Stone | Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Valparaiso, the town this property stands in, in 72 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 39 thunderstorm wind, 18 hail, 6 flood, 5 lightning. The reports record 4 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2011 | Lightning | Valparaiso | 2 hurt | An employee at a drugstore was using the telephone when lightning struck nearby. The employee reported feeling a jolt and was taken to the hospital as a precaution. A dispatcher at the 911 center also reported a jolt after lightning struck the center. Sparks were reportedly seen inside the center just after the lightning strike. |
| May 2011 | Lightning | Valparaiso | 1 hurt | A woman in Jackson Township was injured when lightning struck nearby while she was closing a metal window. |
| July 2005 | Lightning | Valparaiso | 1 hurt | A worker at the Porter County Fairgrounds was struck by lightning. |
| August 2014 | Flash Flood | Valparaiso | $250,000 | Street and basement flooding was reported over portions of Valparaiso. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | $100,000 | no account filed |
| November 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | $25,000 | On the east side of Valparaiso, numerous power poles were snapped and trees were blown down. County Road 600N was closed between 300E and 400E due to several high tension poles and power lines down across the road. |
| August 2012 | Lightning | Valparaiso | $25,000 | Two houses were set on fire after lightning strikes. |
| August 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | $25,000 | Several trees and tree limbs were blown down. One tree was blown onto a house. A large tree was blown down in Tower Park. The roof of a restaurant was blown off a sandwich shop. |
| August 2007 | Flood | Valparaiso | $25,000 | A van drove into eight inches of flood water, lost control, crossed the median into westbound lanes and was hit by a semi-trailer. Two passengers were killed and the driver was critically injured. |
| May 2011 | Lightning | Valparaiso | $5,000 | Lightning struck a garage on Roosevelt Road. About an hour later, smoke was seen billowing from the detached garage. The fire was quickly put out by firefighters. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | $5,000 | Trees and power lines blown down. |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | $3,000 | Large tree limbs fell on cars at Chesterton and Valparaiso. A tree also fell across Route 12 in Porter County. |
| August 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | $1,000 | Two trees were blown down onto power lines. |
| July 2025 | Flood | Valparaiso | - | Multiple streets in Valparaiso were flooded with a few inches of water. |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Trees and power lines were blown down on Union Street. |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Trees and tree limbs were blown down on and around the Valparaiso University campus. |
| March 2023 | Hail | Valparaiso | - | A photo shared of hail in Valparaiso showed the largest hailstones were approximately quarter sized. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | A photo shared via social media shows a 2 to 4 inch diameter tree branch had been snapped near Oak St and Garfield St. Wind speed was estimated using radar. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Tree limbs were blown down on power lines. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Scattered large tree limbs were blown down in Valparaiso. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | A photo was shared on social media of a large tree limb snapped. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Tree damage was reported. |
| April 2020 | Flood | Valparaiso | - | Minor flooding of low lying areas was reported. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Trees were blown down in Valparaiso. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Four tree limbs, 8 to 10 inches in diameter, were snapped. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | A semi truck was blown over near Valparaiso. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Numerous reports of trees and wires blown down around Valparaiso were received. |
| June 2019 | Flood | Valparaiso | - | Standing water was reported in a yard along with nearby fields partially flooded. Storm total rainfall of 2.50 inches was measured. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | A large tree limb and a power line were blown down in Jackson Township. Other large tree limbs were blown down in parts of Porter County. |
| September 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | A large tree was split on the southeast side of Valparaiso. |
| June 2017 | Hail | Valparaiso | - | Quarter to half dollar size hail was reported in Valparaiso. |
| August 2016 | Flood | Valparaiso | - | Standing water over Route 2 one mile east of Valparaiso. |
| June 2015 | Flash Flood | Valparaiso | - | Numerous streets and bridges had to be closed due to flooding. |
| August 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Powerlines were blown down across portions of Valparaiso. |
| September 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Tree limbs and branches were blown down across portions of Valparaiso. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Numerous trees were blown down. |
| June 2013 | Flood | Valparaiso | - | Porter County Highway Department reported numerous roads and subdivisions flooded throughout the County. Approximately two inches of rain fell in 37 minutes. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Wind gusts were estimated to 75 mph. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Several trees were blown down in the Valparaiso area. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | A one foot diameter tree was blown down near Joliet Road and Route 130. |
| August 2009 | Heavy Rain | Valparaiso | - | Rainfall of 2.20 inches was reported in the past 24 hours. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Wind gusts were estimated to 60 mph one mile east of Valparaiso. |
| June 2008 | Hail | Valparaiso | - | Penny to quarter size hail was reported. |
| August 2007 | Flash Flood | Valparaiso | - | Roadways covered by water. |
| August 2007 | Hail | Valparaiso | - | Quarter size hail reported on the west side of Valparaiso. |
| August 2007 | Hail | Valparaiso | - | Nickel size hail reported at Sweetbriar Road. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Trees blown down near Route 30 and Horseprairie Road, winds estimated to 80 mph. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Estimated gust to 80 mph in rural Washington Township. |
| May 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | A two and half foot diameter tree was snapped at it's base. |
| October 2007 | Hail | Valparaiso | - | Quarter size hail was reported at Route 2 and Route 30. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Small trees were uprooted and large limbs were blown down near County Road 325 and County Road 400. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | A 30 foot tall tree was blown down along the county line, 2 miles west of Westville in Porter County. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Valparaiso | - | Penny size hail fell for about 10 minutes. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | In Morgan Township several old trees were blown down. |
| June 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Large tree limbs were blown down across parts of eastern Valparaiso. |
| May 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | Trees and limbs downed throughout the county, especially southwest of Valparaiso. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valparaiso | - | no account filed |
| March 2023 | Hail | Valparaiso | - | no account filed |
| April 2020 | Hail | Valparaiso | - | no account filed |
| May 2020 | Hail | Valparaiso | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Immanuel Lutheran Church | under 500 feet | 1982 |
| Patrick and Catherine Clifford House | under 500 feet | 2021 | |
 | Dr. David J. Loring Residence and Clinic | 0.1 miles | 1984 |
 | Haste-Crumpacker House | 0.1 miles | 2010 |
 | Valparaiso Downtown Commercial District | 0.2 miles | 1990 |
 | Valparaiso Downtown Commercial Historic District (Boundary Increase) | 0.2 miles | 2010 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 08000568 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Porter County | All 42 listed properties in this county. |
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